Woolf aims for stardom

The influence of Marco Pierre White on the nation's eating habits continues to spread with the opening of the River Room Marco Pierre White in Manchester's new Lowry hotel.

Part of the RF Hotels group and Manchester's first five-star hotel, the Lowry had a troubled start, losing its executive chef before its opening and its general manager in early May.

The White-Woolf relationship

But heading up the River Room kitchen now is David Woolf. He has rekindled a working relationship with White, taking on the 136-seat restaurant, private dining for 20, banqueting for 300, and meeting rooms for up to 200, as well as the hotel's 24-hour room service and breakfast.

This is the first hotel position for Woolf, whose experience includes five years with White at his London restaurants, and it's the first time he has been in charge of such a large brigade - 27 chefs, 14 of whom work in the River Room kitchen. Kitchen staff are supported front of house by a team of 12, led by restaurant manager Huseyin Bozkurt.

So what are Woolf and his brigade cooking? He and White have devised a menu divided into starters, fish and shellfish, meat, poultry and offal, and desserts. It will change four times a year, the most popular dishes being retained. A five-course menu gourmand costs £32; a table d'hôte with a choice of three starters, main courses and puddings costs £22; set lunch, available Monday to Saturday, is £12 for two courses and £15 for three; and Sunday lunch is £15 for three courses.

Among the starters are classic White dishes such as Drones potted shrimps (£7.50); aspic of oysters with watercress, gelée of Champagne (£8.95); and omelette Arnold Bennett, sauce mornay (£7). The last is among the best-selling starters along with the kipper pâté with whisky (£6.50) that Woolf describes as "not too kippery, but very tasty".

All fish dishes are proving popular main courses. They include White's own favourite - gratinée of salmon Viennoise, sabayon of chives (£12.50) - and his escalope of tuna with aubergine, sauce vierge with basil (£13.95).

Grilled calf's liver with bacon, caramelised cauliflower, sauce diable (£12.95) is one of Woolf's favourite meat dishes. "The cauliflower is cooked down in butter and a squeeze of lemon juice is added at the end. Citrus flavours sit well with calf's liver."
Confit of lamb printanière, jus of thyme (£12.50) was devised specially for the River Room. "A confit is created from shoulder of lamb in duck fat, flaked and mixed with the thyme jus and served with rôsti and vegetables. It's a cracking dish," says Woolf.

About 70% of customers have pudding made by pastry chef Antoine Quentin. "He does the best bread and butter pudding ever, and his banana sticky toffee pudding is superb," says Woolf. Puddings are all £5.50.

Average spend is £40 per head, including wine, and the restaurant is currently doing 60-70 covers a night and 40-50 at lunch. The clientele is a mix of businesspeople and young affluent Mancunians as well as hotel residents.

Woolf is nurturing hopes of a Michelin star and, although the job is tough, he is clearly relishing the challenge: "I've been working seven days a week, 19 hours a day to get things going. But I'm the happiest I've been for a long while."

The River Room Marco Pierre White, the Lowry hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Salford, Manchester M3 5LH. Tel: 0161-827 4000.